Ini Umotong scored as Brighton & Hove Albion Ladies caused an upset with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool Ladies on Sunday to end a four-game winless run in the English WSL.
Both teams came into the match looking to snap winless streaks. Liverpool wanted to avoid a seventh without a win while Brighton targeted their first league victory since October 28th.
The two teams found it difficult to create any chances as the match reached the half-hour mark, with the midfield areas seeing most of the action.
Albion then sprung into life once more, and a scramble in the penalty area saw Gibbons direct a header at goal, which Preuss turned behind for a corner.
Peplow took the resulting set-piece and found Ini Umotong, and the Nigeria international held off a defender and unleashed a powerful shot which bounced down off the crossbar into the path of Rafferty, who couldn’t miss from two yards out.
Albion started the second half with the same intensity as they did the first, and doubled their lead at the first opportunity.
The ball broke to Umotong from the midfield, with the striker clean through on goal. There were hints of offside, but as the ball last came off a Liverpool foot, the assistant referee kept his flag down and the striker placed a composed finish low past the keeper.
The win moves the Seagulls up one place in the league table to ninth, just three points behind today’s opponents.
Ini is expected to be pivotal for the Super Falcons at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
The striker has netted two goals in 12 WSL for Brighton this term in the top flight.
